Pole, an' nobody 'ere to stop 'im."

"What do you make of it?" Dave, who had been studying the shore with the
glass, handed it to Jarvis: "Do you see something like a village?"

"Sure I do!" exclaimed the other excitedly. "Sure, there's a village, a
'ole 'eap of bloomin' 'eathen live up 'ere, h'only they hain't dull and
stupid like them down below."

"It's a strange-looking village."

"Sure, it is. Made all of reindeer skins and walrus pelts. Sure
it's different. Them natives up 'ere 'ave got reindeer, 'erds and
'erds of 'em."

"I suppose they've got walrus ivory, too," said Dave, warming to
the subject.

"Ho, yes, walrus h'ivory a-plenty, them 'eathen 'ave got. But walrus
h'ivory hain't so much. Too 'eavy to make a good cargo, an' not 'alf so
good as h'elephant h'ivory. But there's minerals, 'eaps of minerals, an'
we'd all be rich men an' it wasn't for the bloomin' doctor."

No channel to the shore having appeared, they were now making their way
along the edge of the open water. Suddenly the old engineer started:

"Did you see 'im?" he whispered.

"What? Where?" Dave stared at the old man, thinking he had suddenly
lost his head.